


Last Hope

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon, Points of View, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-30
Updated: 2004-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-27 05:57:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12074901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Plot Bunny: Stephanie M.Everything remains the same through episode 211; however, after that point we break off into discovering some truths about our Sunshine.  About two years after Justinâ€™s 18th birthday Justin has a lot to hide, what will happen when his â€˜familyâ€™ finds out?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

Prologue

One Year After 211

Brian’s POV

I’m lying in bed, feigning sleep while Justin talks quietly on the phone in the living room. This is becoming a regular occurrence, the phone ringing in the middle of the night, Justin carefully and quietly crawling out of bed to take the call. Sometimes he comes back to bed and other times he gets dressed and leaves. He’ll be gone for about two or three hours before he’ll come back home, falling exhaustedly in bed. I’ve never asked him what or who is calling him out so late at night, the door is open, he’s aloud to leave whenever he wants. 

My suspicion grows stronger that he’s hiding something from me when we talk down the street and people are stopping him left and right. They are all younger people, dressed nicely but not overly and they all address him as ‘J’, never Justin. They treat Justin with great respect, always thanking him or just saying hello.

I remember one day we were walking down the street towards the diner when a young man came running up to Justin. He wrapped himself around Justin and firmly planted a kiss on his lips. I felt myself getting angry, we have those damn rules, no kissing anybody. 

“What the fuck Ethan,” Justin said pushing the young man away, wiping his mouth off. “Don’t fucking kiss me,” he said angrily. 

“Sorry J, I’m just so excited,” Ethan replied jumping up and down. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow wanting to know what the fuck was going on. Why the fuck was the young man kissing my…my Justin. 

“Well fucking spit it out already,” Justin replied, still clenching his fists at his side.

“I got into Julliard, I’m in for next semester,” Ethan said happily. 

“That’s great Ethan I’m happy for you,” Justin said relaxing and moving towards me. 

After a few more minutes of pleasantries, the young man left and we continued on our way to the Diner. We never talked about anything that happened that day. I let it go because he obviously didn’t return the kiss or even ask for it and well it’s none of my damn business. At least that’s what I tell myself. 

Although that was the first and last time, I’ve seen any physical contact other than a brief hug or handshake with any of the young men, I still wonder what these young men know about my lover that I don’t. 

Of course, Michael has never allowed a single instance to go by without having to bring it to my attention, mentioning that Justin is screwing around behind my back. Or that he’s hustling to pay his bills. That sounds plausible because he always has money, I haven’t had to pay for anything in a long, long time, but he never comes home smelling of sex and is still so fucking tight. I honestly don’t think that he’s fucking anybody else on a regular basis. I just wish that he would tell me what the fuck is going on. But for now, I will trust him because he hasn’t given me any reason not to. 

I relax when I hear him padding back up the stairs. I can feel his eyes on me before he gently slides back into bed, wrapping himself around me. He places a soft kiss on my chest before settling down into a deep sleep. I watch him for a couple of minutes, realizing that I love feeling of him pressed against me, before falling into oblivion.

Part 1

One Year Later

Justin’s POV

“Hey you ready to go yet,” Brian calls from the living room. I rush to finish getting dressed so that we can meet ‘the boys’ at the diner. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks with the fall term ending, getting ready to start the final semester of my junior year. With work and final assignments due, I haven’t had a lot of time to unwind. I’m looking forward to hanging out with the guys and going to Babylon, losing myself in the music. 

“Yea, I’m coming,” I say coming out of the bedroom and heading over to Brian.

“About fucking time Justin,” Brian grumbles as we head out the door. I can’t help but roll my eyes at him; I’ve waited plenty of times for him to get ready. We walk down to the jeep in silence, a comfortable silence. We’ve been together now for about 3 years and we’ve learned to communicate with each other without using words, I like how comfortable it is. The silence is gone by my cell phone ringing, sometimes I really wished I didn’t have to have one, but it isn’t an option an longer, it is definitely necessary.

“Hello,” I answer. I don’t even bother checking the caller id because of the unique ring tone that I have selected for this number, ah, technology is wonderful. 

“I’ll see what I can do…yea I’ll come down tomorrow and handle it…thanks for letting me know…bye.” I close the phone and stare at it for a moment. I know when I set this into motion that it was going to be a lot of work but I didn’t realize how gratifying it was going to be. I really love what I do.

“What was that about,” Brian asks me. I don’t know why but I’ve kept so many things a secret from my lover, from my family. 

“Nothing, just somebody needing help,” I answer flippantly. I’m not ready to tell him my secrets, I know that I should and if I don’t and he finds out he won’t be happy, but I’m not doing anything wrong and it’s nobody’s damn business anyway. 

Arriving at the diner I can’t help but feel excited about the night that lies ahead, I need the thump thump of the music, the heady aroma of men and sex, to fuck hard and shamelessly in the backroom. Yes, this is going to be a wonderful night, just what I need to allow the tension to release.

“Hey guys,” Michael, says as we slide into the booth. Michael and I’ve come to an understanding with each other. We’ll never be best friends but we have to get along because of our ‘family’, he’s not a bad guy, just petty and jealous. 

“Hey,” I reply. We have been working hard on our comic book; with five issues out and national exposure, we are finally making money on our joint venture. I am finally starting to earn my place in this world on my own merit and it feels good. 

“What have you been up to you baby,” Em asks. He always makes me feel really good. 

“Just work and school, I’m happy that this semester is over. I’ve missed the scene,” I say with a smile. 

“When do you get your grades,” Ben asks. 

“Hmm, within two weeks. I think that I passed everything,” I laugh. I better have passed everything with the amount of studying I’ve done. 

“Hey J,” I look up at the young man talking to me and I have to smile at him, he’s doing really well. 

“Hey Cody,” I reply. 

“I just wanted to thank you for everything,” He says shyly. I really don’t understand the shyness, not after the way I found him, but I find it endearing and refreshing. 

“No need to thanks, how is everything going,” I ask. I really want to make sure my ‘lost’ boys are ok. 

“Everything is great, really great. Well I’ll let you enjoy your evening,” He says with a smile before heading off. I just nod my head at him and watch him walk out. He’s come really far since I found him, I have to smile at how well he’s doing. 

“Who was that,” Michael asks with a sneer.

“A friend,” I say. I’m not elaborating; it’s none of his damn business. I look over to Brian, he’s been very quite this evening; I wonder what bug is up his ass. He’s been tense since we got into the jeep. I lean into him and kiss him right below the ear. 

“What’s wrong,” I whisper. He doesn’t say anything just shakes his head and relaxes back into the booth. 

For the rest of the dinner they discuss what has been happening this week. I’m quiet as I listen to them, I haven’t seen them in such a long time, I’ve missed their banter. 

“Ready to go,” Brian asks. I look over at him and nod my head. Looking into his eyes, I feel myself getting lost in the love that I have for him. I pull him to me kissing him soundly on the lips, allowing my unsaid feelings to flow out of me. Losing myself in his full lips. 

Someone clearing their throat pulls me out of lust-filled haze. I look over to the guys and their questioning looks and just shrug my shoulders. Can’t I kiss my man without an interrogation? Well, I guess they haven’t been privy to the Justin and Brian show for three weeks, seems they need reminding. 

Heading out of the diner, Hunter stops us. Hunter has been living with Michael and Ben now for about six months. Living on the streets as a hustler really did damage to him. Not only is he HIV+ he distances himself from everybody, not really making any attachments. I really hope Ben and Michael can help him with that.

“Hey Hunter, what are you doing down here,” Michael asks. 

“Umm, I need to talk to Justin,” he says looking at me. I raise an eyebrow at him. He doesn’t like me in the least, especially because I’m with Brian, so this is an interesting prospect.

“What’s up,” I question. 

“In private,” he asks. I nod my head and step away from the guys to talk to him. I wonder what this is concerning. I look over to the guys and they are all watching us closely. I shrug my shoulders because I haven’t the faintest clue what this is about. I look back to Hunter, silently asking him what he needs.

“I know about you,” he says. Immediately I’m on alert wondering what the fuck he’s going to do. “And I need your help. Well my friends need your help,” he finishes. I look at him closely and see that he’s being honest. 

“Where are they,” I ask. 

“They are at 1764 Wilshire but can I go with, they aren’t going to go with anybody unless I’m there,” he states. I can understand, you can’t trust anybody and these boys have learned that the hard way. I pull out my cell phone quickly dialing one of my enforcers. 

“Hey I need you to pick up someone from the Liberty Diner and take him to go pick up some guys. He’ll give you the details and get the Dr to have them checked out…yea thanks.” 

“Thanks Justin, you’re not so bad,” He says sincerely. 

“No problem Hunter but let’s keep this between us,” I remind him. He doesn’t say anything but nods his head. I turn to go back to the guys when I feel him grab my hand squeezing it. I look at him and he shrugs his shoulders, squeezing my hand tighter before letting go. I understand. 

When we walk back to the guys, they are looking at me for answers. I just shrug my shoulders and pull out a cigarette, lighting it and inhaling deeply.

“Well let’s go,” Brian says looking at me, asking me what the fuck is going on. I shake my head, telling him not to worry about it. 

“You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up with you,” I say. I’m not leaving until Hunter’s picked up. The guys all look at me as if I’ve grown an extra head. Shit, how do I explain this? 

“Fine,” Brian says turning and walking away. The guys look between the two of us before following Brian; I watch them until they are out of sight, sighing inwardly, wondering how much longer I can keep this up. 

Hunter and I stand in silence; I really don’t know what to say to the kid so I choose to remain quiet. My black SUV pulls up; I grab Hunter by the arm and lead him over to the car. Opening the passenger door for him, he jumps in. 

“Hey Jake. Take Hunter to 1764 Wilshire; there should be about four or five boys. Take them to one and have a doctor check them all out,” I state. Jake looks at me and nods his head in understanding. Jake is a big guy about 225 pounds all muscle, jet black hair and deep brown eyes. 

“Hey Bruce, why don’t you come along just in case there is trouble,” Jake says and I look over my shoulder. I smile at my personal bodyguard; he’s always right behind me no matter what. My family may not know him but he’s been around now for two years, ever since the bashing. He is always in the background, but ready to pounce if anyone gets nasty. 

“If you need help Jake, call Gary. I need to stay with J,” Bruce respond. 

“Be careful guys and call me when you are finished,” I reply before turning and walking away. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the SUV drive down the street and I’m happy that I could help a couple more boys. As I walk toward Woody’s, some of the boys stop me a couple more times and I feel a surge of joy that I was able to do something. 

 

Brian’s POV

Walking down the street, I can’t get my mind off Justin. He is hiding something and I can’t figure out what it is. I don’t think he’s fucking around with someone other than the occasional trick. He’s been home most of the time and when he’s not, he is always available by his cell. I just can’t get this nagging feeling that he’s hiding something from me. 

“What the fuck is going on Brian,” Michael asks. I really don’t know why he would assume I would know what’s going on. Well, I really should but everyone is entitled to their secrets, I know that I have.

“If it was our business Mikey, he would tell us,” I remind him. Justin will tell me when he’s ready.

“Like hell it’s not my business, he’s talking to my kid about something. Hunter should be coming to Ben or me, not some fucking college student,” he states angrily. I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, trying to control the anger welling up inside of me. 

“Michael, if Hunter wanted us to know what was going on he would come to us, trust him,” Ben says. I look over to him and give him a nod of thanks. I love Mikey, I really do but fuck, he just can’t keep his mouth shut. 

The bar is busy, there are no tables left so we take up the last of the seats at the bar. Where we are sitting I can see the entrance and I can’t help but look up every couple of minutes for Justin. When he finally arrives he looks around not seeing us, I’m about to call out to him but before I can, someone comes over and whispers in his ear. He smiles brightly at the guy and nods his head and then the guy leaves. When Justin looks back up, he makes eye contact and smiles. I can’t help but smile back, god what has he done to me. Three years, plus or minus, we’ve been together. I’ve fought every step of the way but I really can’t imagine my life without him, not that I would ever tell him that. 

“Hey,” he says standing beside me. 

“Hey,” I reply. Grabbing him by the neck, pulling him down to my lips, I kiss him deeply. I want to know what is going on but I want him to trust me enough to tell me. Placing a soft kiss on his lips, I lean back looking at him; he just smiles at me then turns to the bartender. 

“Hey Troy, can I get a beer,” he asks. 

“Sure thing Justin,” Troy responds.

“Is there a problem,” Justin asks. I look at him, then turn to see where he is staring, and realize that Michael is staring daggers at Justin. Geez can Michael ever let anything go.

“Yea, what the fuck happened with Hunter,” Michael asks angrily. 

“If Hunter wants you to know, he’ll tell you,” Justin responds. 

“I have a fucking right to know,” Michael yells getting the attention of people around us. Justin is clenching the bottle in his hand, his knuckles turning white. I place my hand on the small of his back, if he keeps squeezing the bottle it is going to explode in his hand. He looks over at me before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, relaxing his grip on the bottle. 

“Michael, it isn’t anything bad. He needed help; I helped. If he wants to tell you, he will. Now can we drop this conversation,” he states calmly.

“NO! WE FUCKING CANNOT,” Michael yelled. Justin just shakes his head and looks over at me. 

“I’m leaving. I came here to relax and that obviously isn’t going to happen. You stay, have fun, fuck a nice ass for me.” He places a soft kiss on my lips before turning and leaving. As he’s walking out the door, Michael grabs him by the arms, squeezing it. Justin flinches slightly but looks down at Michael. 

“MIKEY,” I shout at him. Fuck, we are creating such a damn drama in the bar. Mikey doesn’t respond to me so I get out of my seat and start making my way over to them but before I can, a very large black man is by Justin’s side, removing Mikey’s hand. Who the fuck is this. Justin glares at Mikey before turning and walking away, the black man following close behind. I’ve seen him before, now that I think about, I seem him a lot. I decide to follow them to see what is going on. As I pass by Mikey, I stop and stare at him. 

“Michael, if you ever lay another hand on Justin, I’ll fucking break it. Got it,” I demand. He just looks at me shocked. 

“Damnit Brian, can’t you see that he’s up to something. And who the fuck was the muscle,” He asks. I shrug my shoulders, I don’t fucking know but I intend to figure it out. 

I walk out the door, looking up and down the street when I catch Justin’s platinum blond hair. He’s leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette and talking on the phone, no sign of the other man around. I start heading toward him but before I can reach him, a black Lexus pulls up. He must have been waiting for the car because as soon as he comes to a stop, he pushes off the wall and climbs into the passenger seat. What the fuck? 

I think about following him but I realize that my car is about two blocks away at the Diner and there is no possible way for me to follow him. FUCK!

Justin’s POV

I cannot believe Michael, god he always has to start shit; well I guess I really can believe it. That’s the first time Bruce has ever had to step in with my friends though. I thought that he was going to break his hand. Bruce has been a constant in my life for two years now, he even lives in the loft below Brian, not that Brian will ever know that. He’s always there when I need him and tonight was no exception. 

“So where to Justin,” he asks me. 

“Lets go the house, there was a problem with one of the boys,” I reply. Jake called me and told me that one of the boys was hurt bad but was scared to let anyone touch him. The boys don’t really know who I am; no one really does except for a select few, they all think that I’m a mentor at the houses. I don’t know what made me start the houses; I think that I just wanted to do something for my community, particularly Liberty Avenue. This really was the only way I knew how. 

When we arrive at the house, the Dr. on call is there, waiting to treat the boy. I see Hunter as well as the house mom, Sandy, standing beside him and I smile at them before squatting down in front of him. 

“Hey my names Justin, what’s yours,” I ask him. 

“B-Billy,” he stammers. He looks so young, maybe 16 if that. I look him over seeing that he has bruises all over and I can feel my anger welling up inside of me. 

“Billy, you are safe here, we aren’t going to hurt you, and you’re free to leave when ever you want. But right now, you need to let us help you,” I say looking him in the eye. He seems to relax because he nods his head and I step back allowing the doctor access to the young man. 

I decide to allow them some privacy, so I head to the entertainment room to check on some of the other boys. They are all sitting around talking and laughing, I stand there watching them for a few minutes, pleased to see them all so happy and care free. 

“Hey guys,” I say moving into the room and sitting beside them. 

“Hey J, didn’t know you were coming tonight,” Garth says. 

“Can’t let you guys know all of my surprises now can I,” I ask with a laugh. 

“So how’s it going,” I ask. I like to know what is going on with them. Make sure they are getting by ok, their mentor is helping them, and school isn’t bad for them. For the next hour, we talk about how they are doing, often breaking into different conversations. It’s good to seem them all relaxed, happy, and content with their new lives. It isn’t easy for any of them but they are all taking the steps to take control of their lives, with options now available to them, they have the chance to succeed. 

“Justin, we are all set with Billy,” Sandy says coming into the room. 

“Well it was good talking to you boys but I have to go.” When I walk out of the room, I head straight to back to Billy’s room to check on him. 

“What’s the verdict Doc,” I ask. 

“Well he has a couple of broken ribs and some tearing. The guy that got a hold of him worked him over real good. But he should be ok in a couple of weeks,” he replies. I clench my fists thinking about what this young man must have lived through and I want to go hunt the son of a bitch down and beat him as he has Billy. 

“Damn,” I say shaking my head. I turn to look at Billy and he’s laying flat on his back in the bed, the covers clenched in his fist, eyes darting around the room. 

“Billy you don’t have to be afraid here, no one is going to hurt you. Sleep for tonight, and tomorrow Sandy will talk to you about the house rules and things of that nature. In this house, we are all family and we help each other out. If you don’t want to stay, that is your choice; it isn’t prison and we don’t force you to do anything you don’t want. If you want to talk to me, call me anytime.” I tell him giving him my cell number. 

“Thanks Justin,” he says before closing his eyes. I look over to Hunter and nod my head toward the door. 

Once outside the room, I turn my attention to the doctor. 

“Thanks again Dr. Barry,” I say shaking his hand. 

“No problem Mr. Taylor, I’m going to leave his prescription with Sandy. I’ll be back over tomorrow to check him out again.” He hands the prescription to Sandy before leaving. 

“Come on Hunter, I think that it’s time to get home to your dads,” I tell Hunter, maneuvering him toward the door. 

“Sandy call me tomorrow and let me know how everything is going and call Roger for therapy.” 

“No problem Justin,” she says with a smile. As Hunter and I leave, I wait until I here the door lock and then head down the stairs to the waiting car. 

“You’re not bad Justin,” Hunter says to me as we slide into the car. “Not bad at all.”

“Thanks…I think,” I say laughing. 

“Hey Justin, do you know who owns this place?” I turn to look at him realizing that he doesn’t know as much as I thought. 

“No clue,” I reply.

“How did you get involved, I mean I know you didn’t come from the streets?”

“I wanted to do something for the community, found out about this place and volunteer,” I state, well it’s mostly the truth. 

“Cool,” he says smiling. Hmmm, maybe he’s playing me. 

The rest of the ride to Michael and Ben’s is in silence, the music playing quietly. When we pull up in front of the apartment building, Hunter jumps out and comes to the window. 

“Thanks again, later,” he said before walking away. We wait until he’s in the house before pulling away and heading home. Looking at the dash clock, it’s close to three and I realize that I may miss my curfew. 

“Hey Bruce, get us home before three, I don’t need Brian yelling at me.” Bruce looks over at me and smiles before stepping on the gas. I laugh at him because this is often how our late nights end, rushing home to beat curfew. 

When we pull into the garage, I hop out and head over to the stairs, deciding the running up the stairs will be a lot quicker. 

“Night Bruce,” I call over my shoulder before slipping inside the building. 

By the time I reach the loft door, I’m slightly out of breath but looking at my watch; I made it with five minutes to spare. Upon entering the loft I realize that the blue lights are not on, meaning Brian isn’t home. I check my cell phone and there are no messages or missed calls. Looking over to our home phone, I realize that the light is blinking. Walking over to the machine, I press play.

“Uh, Justin its Ben. Brian and Michael have had too much to drink so Brian’s going to crash on my couch tonight. We’ll talk to you later, and don’t forget about brunch.” God damnit, guess I fucking have to pleasure myself since my damn partner is having a sleep over with his best friend. Fuckers.

I stomp into the bathroom and quickly pull my clothes off, turning on the shower as hot as I can stand it. I step under the soothing spray. 

Brian’s POV

“Justin close the blinds,” I ask, turning over trying to escape the light and end up landing on my ass. What the fuck? I open my eyes, squinting against the light and look around…oh shit…

“Good Morning,” Hunter says with a smile.

“Fuck off,” I growl. I’m not in the mood for this, and I can only imagine how pissed Justin is. Great, what in the world possessed me to get so wasted last night? Oh yea, Justin hopping into that car. I pull myself off the floor and sit down on the couch resting my head in my hands.

“Good Morning Brian,” Ben says walking out of his room. I look over to him and see Michael following him out, looking about how I feel. Guess Mikey and I had a drinking contest…oh the fond memories. 

“Why the fuck am I here,” I ask. 

“Well being as you and Michael were piss ass drunk and I couldn’t walk him home, I drove the Jeep here and dragged both your asses up the stairs,” he says none too pleased. 

“Shit, Justin is going to be so pissed,” I say to myself. 

“I called and left a message at the loft,” Ben said. I nod my head and head to the bathroom. I quickly take care of my business and decide to head home to face Justin’s anger. 

I grab my keys off the coffee table and walk toward the door. “Later.”

“Brian, don’t forget we have brunch in an hour,” Michael states. Fuck, I just want to go home and go back to bed. 

“Fuck,” I say slamming the door and walking down the stairs.

Thinking back to last night, I realize I let my anger get out of control and I brought Michael down with me. Fuck. I took too many drugs, drank way too much, and ended up in the backroom at least five times. Of those five times, none were very good. Why can’t you get a decent lay anymore? Arriving home, I resign myself to an ugly confrontation with Justin. Yes, he has a right to be angry about me not coming home, but I also am pissed off about the secrets he’s keeping and leaving in that fucking car. 

Opening up the loft door I expect to see Justin in the main area but it’s empty. I walk into the bedroom thinking that he may still be asleep, but the bed is empty and made. Did he come home last night? The little shit better have. I look around the bed not seeing his clothes from last night. I go into the bathroom and look through the hamper. Well his clothes from last night are here, he must have already left for the munchers. 

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I head out of the loft to the family brunch. Pulling up their street, I see the same black Lexus as last night and my hands clench on the steering wheel, I look into the car and can see someone sitting in there but the windows are tinted too dark to see who it is. I drive up the street and park in front of the munchers and look through the rearview mirror, it looks like there is only one person in the car, and it’s that big bear from last night. 

Getting out of the jeep, I start heading to the Lexus, but Debbie stops me.

“Brian get your ass in here, it’s time for brunch.” I take one last look at the car before turning and heading into the house. 

“Justin here,” I ask. 

“Yea for about ten minutes now,” she replies. 

I walk into the house and see Justin sitting on the couch with Gus on his lap. I stand in the doorway looking at him for a second before he realizes that I’m here. When he looks up, I can see the hurt and anger in his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything, just plasters on a fake smile. 

“Come on, foods on,” Lindsay calls out from the dining room. Moving into the dining room, Justin sits Gus in his chair before sitting down next to me. He places his hand on my thigh and then looks over at me, staring into my eyes, I don’t know what he’s trying to find but I hope that he does, that it answers his questions. He smiles slightly before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my lips. 

“Morning,” he whispers. 

“Morning,” I say. I guess I’m not in that much trouble for not coming home last night. 

“So have you guys heard anything about Last Hope,” Debbie asked after we had served ourselves. 

“Nothing really but there is an article in the paper about them, let me grab it,” Ted said getting the paper. 

“I think its run by a perverted old man, pimping out young men,” Michael said.

“Why the fuck would you think that,” Hunter asked angrily. 

“Oh come on, a shelter for young hustlers starts two years ago and suddenly they aren’t on the street corners anymore offering sex for money. No one is going to take in a bunch of young men and not expect anything in return,” Mikey, states adamantly. 

“Michael what an awful thing to say. I haven’t heard anything but good things about it, a lot of young men coming from there have gotten their lives back on track,” Lindsay said. 

“Here it is,” Ted states coming back in the room. 

‘Last Hope was founded two years ago by an unknown benefactor to bring the young gay men off the streets of Pittsburgh and provide them with a chance of survival in the real world. Intrigued by the unknown benefactor and what this shelter is about, we launched an investigation to determine the truth behind the homes. After investigating Last Hope for the last three months, we have found that this shelter is so much more than meets the eye. There are two homes in Pittsburgh that combined, can easily take in 100 young men and more on emergency basis. 

Each person that volunteers for Last Hope has an intensive background check done and has to go through a two-hour interview. We asked John Williamson, the lawyer for Last Hope, the reason for this. He states that the founder of Last Hope wants to make sure that each young man is cared for and not abused in any manner in the homes. Since the majority of the young men living in the homes are gay men, he wants to ensure that the employees have no bias against gays nor have any criminal record. By utilizing this process, they have found that the wellbeing of each person living in the homes are protected and cared for. 

Each home has a live-in mother that is there for the young men as a parent, friend, caregiver, and confidant. The moms welcome each young man into the home with open arms, as do all the other young men living at the home. One of the young men stated that they are a family, no matter how dysfunctional or odd, as it may seem, they are all there for each other and love each other. 

The homes also have tutors that come by on a daily basis for five hours a day, on call doctors, psychologists, lawyers, and a mentor for each young man. All of their services are provided pro-bono.

The homes are run much like any home across America. Each young man is required to attend school and maintain a 3.0 grade point average, take their SAT’s and apply for college. Everyone has chores that must be completed on a daily basis, which includes lawn work, cleaning of the common areas, helping with the grocery shopping and cooking for the family, as well as keeping their own rooms clean and doing their laundry. 

The boys are allowed to work in a legal job; however, it is not required nor recommended. Sandy, one of the housemothers, said that although they are allowed to work, they are encouraged to take this time to live and act as a child without the grownup responsibilities of working…

We asked Mr. Williamson on numerous occasions for the founders name and request for interviews; however, all requests went unanswered. We wondered why would someone do something so noble for the community of Liberty Avenue and not want to be identified for their humanitarian act. 

Looking over all of the records pertaining to Last Hope, we were still unable to identify the founder; however, an anonymous tip has lead us to his identity.

This young man is only 20 years old and the grandson of Thomas Taylor of Taylor Bank & Trust. We contacted Mr. Taylor and although he was reluctant to discuss his Grandson, we persuaded him to do so when we informed him the nature of our story. 

Mr. Taylor released his grandson’s inheritance of over $100 million dollars on the day of his graduation as valedictorian from St. James Academy. Mr. Taylor stated that he was not going to release it until his grandson reached the age of 25; however, because of his own son’s inability to move past his hate and homophobia, he had to take care of his grandson the only way he knew how. 

At the age of 17, Justin Taylor was kicked out of his childhood home because he was gay. He was left to depend on friends that he had known only a short time to help him survive and live through this difficult time of coming out as a gay man. 

While attending St. James Academy Mr. Justin Taylor was also enrolled in correspondence college courses through Dartmouth University. A month after graduating from St. James Academy, he graduated top of his class at Dartmouth with his Business Administration degree. Unfortunately, Mr. Justin Taylor was unable to attend either of his graduations due to the incident that occurred at his senior prom. 

Mr. Justin Taylor is currently a student at the Institute of Fine Arts double majoring in Studio Art and Computer Graphics. Mr. Taylor is due to graduate next year and is currently at the top of his class. 

Mr. Taylor is also the owner of JT Graphics, a company that opened only a year and half ago and in the last year has earned over $2 million dollars. 

Even though Mr. Taylor controls his inheritance, he does not live, as some would expect. The only use of his inheritance has been for his tuition to P.I.F.A, the startup costs of his company and Last Hope. Mr. Thomas Taylor stated that his grandson was an honorable man and did not want to live off his family’s money, but succeed in life on his own merit. Mr. Taylor pays for his living costs with the money earned from JT Graphics and previously, the Liberty Diner. 

Congratulations Mr. Justin Taylor on succeeding where so many fail, where your own parents failed. You have protected the lives of countless individuals by getting them off the streets and helping them to succeed in their own lives…’

Justin’s POV

“Oh fuck,” I whisper. I’ve worked so damn hard to keep all of that a secret and now not only does my ‘family’ know, but ALL of Pittsburgh knows. I look around the table at my ‘family’ and you can see the shock of what they have just learned. The shock wears off by the simultaneous ringing of my cell phone and knocking at the door. 

“Don’t you fucking dare answer that,” Brian demands. I look over at him and can see the anger in his face and place my cell phone on the table. Lindsay gets up to answer the door where I here an unmistakable voice. 

“Uh, Justin, you have a visitor,” Lindsey says worried.

“It’s ok Linz, come in Bruce,” I say without removing my eyes from Brian. 

“John just called me about the article in the paper,” he says putting his hand on my shoulder. 

“Yea, we just got done reading it,” I reply. “Make sure to call my granddad and rip him a new one,” I say jokingly. 

“Who the fuck is that,” Brian asks angrily looking at Bruce. 

“Everybody this is Bruce, my bodyguard, Bruce you know everybody,” I say quietly. What the fuck have I done?


	2. Last Hope

Justin’s POV

“So you’re not just a mentor. I never believed that shit story,” Hunter breaks the silence. I look over at him and nod my head. What more can I say? Yes, I’m the one doing this but it doesn’t change who or what I am. My cell phone starts ringing again and I notice that it’s from the shelter. I imagine one of my lost boys wants to confirm the information and I want to talk to them but right now, I need to try to save my family. 

“Bruce, forward all the calls to the answering service, only emergency calls to be forwarded back through to the line,” I advise him, handing him the phone. He nods his head, stepping away from the group to do as I ask. 

“All this time, you’ve been taking advantage of us. All this fucking time,” Michael yells at me. I expect there will be anger about me omitting some information but how does he figure that I’m taking advantage of someone. 

“How the fuck do you figure that,” I ask perplexed. 

“My mom, living with her for free. Brian, you still fucking live off him,” I can’t help but laugh at him.

“You’ve got to be joking Michael. I’ve never lived off anyone other than my parents. Not your mother and certainly not Brian,” I tell him, them. I don’t want them thinking for one moment that I was living off them, taking advantage of them. 

“That’s bullshit,” Lindsay hisses at me. 

“Oh really, Debbie, how much did my mother pay you every month that I lived with you,” I ask. 

“I don’t see how that really matters, you had the money, and yet you forced your mother into paying for you,” Mel said. 

“Were any of you listening to my bio? I didn’t get a fucking penny until the time I graduated and then I couldn’t even fucking manage it for a couple of months afterwards, so NO I did not have money. My mother paid for me because I was 17 years old and couldn’t support myself at the time and because she fucking loves me,” I state angrily. “Deb how much,” I ask again. I realize that she never told anyone about the arrangement that she had. 

“$1000.00 a month,” she admits. Everyone stares at her in shock and I feel satisfied that they can see that Deb was well compensated for taking care of me. 

“And how much did I give you Deb,” I ask, wanting to twist the issue a little bit further. 

“For awhile you gave me half your paycheck including your tips and then a couple of months later, you started giving me ¾ of your check,” she admits. I nod my head in agreement. I will not allow them to make me into the bad guy, but fuck, why wouldn’t I hide this information. 

“Justin, it’s Jonathan,” Bruce says coming back into the room with us. 

“Hey Jon…Why don’t you go ahead and schedule an interview for tomorrow…we’ll address all of the issues then…at your office? OK…good…I’ll see you tomorrow then. Call me with the time…OK…bye.” Jonathan has gotten requests for interviews and he thinks I should do them before the media gets out of hand. 

“That doesn’t explain about Brian,” Michael says bringing us back to topic.

“When have I used Brian,” I ask looking over at him. His face is a mask of pure rage and I’m waiting for him to unleash it but right now, he’s still processing everything. I wonder if he’ll still be with me at the end of the day. 

 

“The first time you lived with him, your trip to New York, NOW,” Michael yells at me. 

“Michael, Brian was also paid for allowing me to live with him the first time. The reason why Debbie only got half of my paycheck at first was because I was paying off my debt to Brian and now, he’s not supporting me.” 

“The fuck I’m not,” Brian roars. “You have one of my credit cards, I pay all the bills when you have millions sitting in the bank,” he yells at me. 

“Ted the Platinum Amex that Brian gave to me, has it ever been used,” I ask. Ted looks at me smirking before turning back to Brian. 

“Brian, Justin is right. The credit card has never been used, in fact I think that it was cancelled for no activity,” Ted says with a smile. The accountant in him is enjoying this a little too much but I can’t help smiling back at him. I will take them calling me a liar but they will not call me a thief. 

“Fine so you don’t use his money but he still pays for everything, has for over two years,” Lindsay said, ever the voice of reason. I shake my head at the allegation but again the ringing phone stops my thoughts. I look down at the annoying contraption noticing the number. I smirk at the thought of what this SOB wants. Bruce is standing right behind me so I hold up the phone for his viewing. He starts chuckling under his breath before taking the phone and walking out of the room. My dad is in for a rude wake up call.

“Who was that,” Emmett asks. He’s been quiet this whole time; I thought he’d be the first one to queen out. 

“My dad,” I say simply. They all stare at me wanting an explanation, wanting more. “He’s probably calling about me disgracing the ‘Taylor’ name and he wants me to stop immediately, blah blah blah, same shit different time,” I explain. We sit quietly until I remember what Michael said before the interruption. 

“Oh and Michael I don’t live off Brian,” I say. They all stare at me with doubt in their eyes. 

“When I first lived with him out of the hospital, yes he had to pay the bills. But once I went back to work, I stated giving him ¾ of my paycheck, which was about $1000 a month. I know it didn’t cover everything, but it was all I could afford at the time,” I explain. 

“You are a fucking liar, I never saw a penny,” Brian shouts standing up. I look over at Ted smirking. He didn’t realize what was happening until this very moment and he smiles at me again. 

“Umm, Brian, he didn’t give the money to you, he gave the money to me. He requested that I set up an account for him with your name on it. He’s been depositing money in that account every month for the last two years, you receive a check every year for the entire account balance which I receive and deposit into your account,” Ted says happily. I knew Brian would never take a penny from me so I set up an account for Brian, which pays out every year the entire balance.

“I hardly think $1000.00 covers the amount you cost,” Debbie said. I shoot her a look wondering exactly what I cost. 

“The amount I pay Brian is none of your fucking business. But the $1000.00 was all I could afford when I worked at the Diner, but now that I have my own company, I can guarantee that it is a lot more than $1000.00,” I say. 

“You should have told us Justin,” Mel says looking at me. 

“Why,” I ask. “Since I have met all of you, I have got nothing but shit about being a country club brat. Why would I tell you about money that I DON’T USE for me so that Michael can treat me like shit,” I question. 

“What do you mean you don’t use it,” Vic asks. I forgot that he was even here because he hasn’t said anything. I thought he would be the first to lay into me.

“I use it for the shelter and my education. My father refused to pay after I wouldn’t denounce my gayness so I used the money to pay for me to go to school but other than that, I haven’t touched the money,” I explain. 

“But how did you start the business,” Mel asks. 

“Ah, yes, JT Inc. That started when my Grandfather asked me to change the graphic for his company. Using the computer Brian gave me, I was able to change the design to his satisfaction. He’s increased his revenue due to the new designs so my Grandfather insisted on paying me for the design. Commissions started coming in from more companies and I was making too much money, hence the startup of JT Inc,” I explain. 

“Who’s handling everything for you,” Ted asks. Of course, he wants to know who my accountant is. 

“Um, Ted, I have my degree in Business Administration, I administer my own inheritance and manage all of my accounts, business and personal. I have a firm that does the books for Last Hope pro bono but otherwise I handle everything else.” I can see his eyes change color, his mind reeling from the possibilities. I wouldn’t mind his help but he would have to get used to a demanding young man that checks everything. 

“Why didn’t you trust us,” Melanie asks, her face a mask of sadness. I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, any of you. Lindsay you know growing up a ‘wasp’, that you don’t discuss money. Do I know how much any of you have in the bank,” I ask rationally. They all stare at me before each shakes their head no, even Brian, who looks away from me. 

“My point exactly, I don’t know how much money any of you have and I will never ask. It’s none of my damn business! Growing up in the ‘country club’,” I sneer in Michael direction. “We never discuss money or good things that you are doing or what charities you contribute to. It’s not ‘classy.’ I may not go to the country club anymore but it’s something that is branded into you at a young age and it’s a hard habit to break,” I explain. 

“You should have fucking told me Justin,” Brian says angrily. I nod my head in agreement.

“You’re right, I should have. But anytime I tried to bring it up Brian, you would shut me down. I tried numerous times in the first couple of months after it happened but you would continually shut me down. I figured you didn’t care so I stopped trying.” He is not going to make this all my fault; he has some blame in it. He didn’t fucking want to know. 

“That was when you were first out of the hospital Justin, we had other things on our mind,” he says through clenched teeth. 

“I realize that Bri, but I didn’t know how to tell you either. I’m so fucking sorry. It was not my intention to hurt any of you but there isn’t anything that I can do to take it back,” I plead with them; I don’t want to lose them as my family. 

“Well you did fucking hurt us. You’ve lied to us for over 2 years. You’re nothing but a God damned liar,” Michael yells at me.

“I don’t know if I can ever trust you again,” Debbie says sadly and I feel the weight of what she has said hit me full force. My breath hitches in my throat and tears spring to my eyes. I nod my head and stand up from the table. I realize that I have probably lost my family and there isn’t a damn thing that I can do about it. I turn to leave so they can’t see the tears in my eyes when Vic’s voice stops me. 

“Why,” Vic asks. I turn to look at him wondering what he was asking, waiting for him to finish his question. “Why did you start the shelters, why do you do so much for these boys,” Vic asks. I look down at my hands before looking back at them.

“It could have been me on the streets if it wasn’t for all of you. Hell it could have been me after the bashing. It was the only way I could think of that would make a difference. I want these young men to have a chance at a better life and the only way they are going to do that is if someone offers them help. I want to give them that,” I explain. I take one last look at everybody before turning and walking away. 

Brian’s POV

I can tell that he’s hurting, I can see it in his eyes, his body language, but I’m so fucking pissed off at him for not telling me this, all of this. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you people,” Hunter asks angrily. I look at him shocked by his outrage wondering what has gotten into him. 

“You don’t even like boy wonder so shut up,” Michael said angrily, glaring at Hunter. 

“His fucking name is Justin, Michael. And I like him a whole hell of a lot better than I do you right now,” Hunter yells. 

“Now listen here,” Debbie starts but Hunter interrupts her.

“No you listen. What has Justin ever done to any of you? You’re pissed because he hid the fact that he had money, that he’s man enough and generous enough to use that money to help people like me,” he says quietly. He looks around the room at all of us, “Brian is the only one entitled to be a little angry, Justin is his fucking partner. But the rest of you, have no right. He didn’t lie to any of you; he hid things, things to keep him safe. Do any of you realize how hard it’s going to be on him now? Do you realize he walked out of here because he didn’t think this family wants him anymore? Well fuck all of you,” Hunter yells before turning and bolting out the house. Michael gets up to follow him but Ben places a hand on his shoulder to keep him down.

“Ben what the fuck are you doing? We need to go have Hunter before he finds that little shit. No telling what Justin is really doing to those boys,” Michael says. 

“Shut the fuck up Michael,” I yell at him. I don’t like one insinuation that Michael keeps spouting off. “Hunter is right. What has Justin ever done to any of us? He has been there for every single one of us when we’ve needed anything. It’s just fucking money, since when do we care about how much money this family has. Last time I checked, this family wasn’t about class or your wallet, our fucked up family is about love. At least that’s what you’ve always said Debbie and now we’ve all turned on him. He’s right, why would he tell us a damn thing when all he has to look forward to is your God damned mouth Michael. I think Hunter has the right idea, fuck all of you,” I say standing up and leaving the house. I’m still pissed off at Justin, but I won’t allow anyone else to hurt him, to judge him. We aren’t his judge and jury and really, he hasn’t done anything wrong, other than protecting himself. Now where the fuck would he go.

“Hey Hunter,” I say sitting down beside him on the sidewalk. 

“So you decided to get your head out of your ass,” he asks me. I look over to him smirking. This kid has more balls than I gave him credit for. 

“Where would he go,” I ask. He looks at me for a minute before standing up. 

“Come on,” he says standing up. We drive in silence other than a few words to direct me to where he thinks Justin is. Arriving at the house, I’m amazed by its size and décor. Justin has gone all out in providing these kids a nice home to live in while they finish school, get their lives back. When we pull into the driveway I see Bruce step out onto the porch. I smile slightly thinking how well Hunter must really understand Justin, being able to bring me right to him. We both climb out of the Jeep and make our way up to the porch where we meet Bruce. 

“You’re not here to start any trouble are you,” he asks. 

“No, just here to talk to him,” I reply. He stares at me for a moment before turning and walking back into the house, leading us into a large room where Justin and some of the boys are. 

“Justin I don’t want to be on the camera,” one of the boys says. 

“Peter, you don’t have to worry, there will be more guards around to make sure that none of the reporters get onto the property,” Justin replies. 

“But what about you, you’re not leaving us are you,” another one asks. 

“You should know better than that Ramon. Yes things are going to be more stressful right now but I’m not going anywhere, I’m not abandoning you,” Justin replies, his face a mask of pain. I realize how badly our conversation at the munchers went and I can feel his pain deep in my heart. I want to take him in my arms and make the pain go away for both of us. 

“Now, why don’t you boys go about your day and have fun. If you need me, you know how to get a hold of me,” Justin says smiling at the boys. I watch as one by one they go up to Justin, talking quietly with him, shaking his hand or giving him a hug. All these boys really respect and admire Justin. Even though he withheld some information from me, I don’t think I could remain mad at him, not when he’s doing something so noble. As the last boys move away from Justin, I walk to him, stopping a few feet in front of him. He stares up at me, tears swimming in his eyes; I gently caress his cheek before pulling him into my arms. 

“I won’t abandon you baby, just don’t ever fucking omit details of your life again,” I say holding him tightly.


	3. Last Hope

One Month Later

Justin’s POV

Since that day at Last Hope, my life has drastically changed. I’m no longer able to live in privacy, as I have the media chasing after me every chance they get. My school life has become hell, some students wanting to get to know me for my money and other’s that can’t accept me. The harassment from the students has gotten so out of hand that I now do my classes through correspondence, only going to class for tests and finals. On the days that I have to go to class, Bruce is there with me to ensure my safety. 

I remember what brought on the 24/7 escort with a bitter laugh. 

“What the fuck happened to you,” Brian demands, as I walk into the loft. 

“Nothing,” I mutter bitterly, moving toward the bathroom. 

“Don’t bullshit me Justin. It looks like something and I want to know what the fuck happened, NOW,” he yelled. 

“When I was walking to my car, I was jumped by a group of guys,” I explain angrily.

“Why,” Brian asks making his way toward me. 

“Because they don’t like the faggot, because they don’t like the shelters, because they don’t like a rich successful faggot. Choose one.”

“Are you ok,” he asks cupping my bruised face. 

“Yea, just bruised,” I reply, closing my eyes, taking comfort in his support. 

“Where was Bruce,” Brian asks. I shrug my shoulders because I’m not sure where he was. Pulling away from me, Brian quickly calls Bruce, demanding his presence at the loft. A couple of minutes later there is a knock, Brian stomps over to the door yanking it open. 

“Where the fuck were you today,” Brian demands, as Bruce enters. 

“I got a flat tire on the way to PIFA, by the time I got there, Justin was already gone,” Bruce says looking Brian. 

“Well look what happens when one of us isn’t with him,” Brian says angrily, pointing in my direction. Bruce quickly scans the room until his eyes settle on me. 

“What the fuck happened,” Bruce demands, walking toward me. I leave the room, allowing Brian to tell Bruce what happened and go clean up my face and check my ribs. I’ll have bruises for a couple of weeks, but it doesn’t feel as if anything is broken. Ten minutes later, I make my way back into the living room, interrupting their quiet conversation. 

“Justin, I don’t want you going anywhere without Bruce or me beside you,” Brian says quietly, making his way over to me. I eye him warily wondering what the fuck he’s talking about. 

“What,” I ask. 

“For now on, when you are out of the loft Bruce is to go with you anywhere you are, unless I’m with you,” Brian replies. 

“No fucking way Brian,” I spit out angrily. 

“Justin, look what happened today. If you think it’s going to stop or not get worse, you’re wrong. Before, when I was in the background it was ok because nobody knew who you were, but now Justin, now they know exactly who you are, and some people don’t like that, as you can see. Please Justin,” Bruce asks pleadingly. 

“No,” I say. I’m not going to be guarded 24/7 never having anytime to myself. 

“Damnit Justin, do it for me. I don’t want anything else happening to you. You promised to keep yourself safe, this is keeping yourself safe,” Brian says moving toward me. Damnit of course he would have to use that. In defeat I nod my head in agreement, resigned to the fact that I won’t have a life anymore. 

“Hey baby, what are you thinking about,” Brian asks coming up behind me, bringing me out of my thoughts. 

“Hmmm, about the day you and Bruce decided that I needed protection whenever I’m out of the loft,” I reply snuggling into his arms. 

“Yea, you didn’t like that too much,” he replies laughing. 

“No, I really didn’t,” I remind him. 

“You ready,” Brian asks, turning me toward him. I look up into his eyes and feel myself calming down. 

Brian’s POV

I look deeply into his eyes and see the uncertainty there and I wish there was something that I could do to help him relax. Since the fallout with the family, Justin has studiously avoided all of them. He didn’t feel comfortable being around them and I honestly couldn’t blame him. What they did, we did, hurt him deeply. We’ve had long conversations about what happened that day and his reluctance to open himself up to them. They’ve all been demanding his presence at the family dinners, the diner, brunch, but Justin has denied all of their offers. Tonight is the first time that he will be coming, I hope that he, we, are able to get past their rejection. 

Other than me, Ted is the only other one that Justin has kept in contact with over the last month. Ted has taken over all of Justin’s accounts, however, Justin watches them closely, requesting a weekly update on all accounts, funding received or spent. I’ve realized that Justin is a very savvy businessman, one that I’m happy to be in bed with. 

After resolving everything between us, I checked into his graphics and although I knew his talent before, I had never seen him use it for business. I now utilize his company for many of my accounts. And since moving the graphics to JT Inc., my clients are very pleased with the representation and are happy with the changes that we’ve made. His perception into what I want is uncanny; I only have to tell him once how I would like to see the design and he never lets me down. He never ceases to amaze me when he turns in the perfect design, which not only incorporates all of my ideas but he’s added his own to them, making them incredible. 

“Ready,” he asks bringing me out of my thoughts. I look over at him before pulling him toward me, gazing into his eyes. 

“It’ll be fine,” I say breathing against his lips before pulling him into a deep kiss. “Let’s go,” I breathe out when we lean back from the kiss. He nods his head and turns to get out of the Jeep. 

I walk around the car, taking his hand in my own as we walk up to the door; he pauses for a second before knocking on the door. Almost immediately, it opens and Debbie pulls Justin into a hug. 

“I’m so sorry Sunshine, please forgive me,” she cries holding him tight. I stand behind them and watch as Justin’s shoulders start to shake, I press my hand against the small of his back, offering him any comfort that I can. 

“I do Deb,” he says quietly. Deb clings to him like a lifeline, not letting him go. 

“Deb you have to let him breathe,” I remind her. She huffs a laugh but releases Justin, but immediately pulls him into the house. The family surrounds him, wanting their time with him, kissing, hugging, and apologizing to him. I watch as one by one they each come up to Justin but one person who stands on the sidelines. I walk over to Michael, standing beside him as we watch the group. 

“Why aren’t you over there,” I ask nodding toward Justin. 

“I will but I want everyone to go first,” he replies. 

“Don’t hurt him again Mikey,” I reply. He looks at me closely the nods his head, I think he finally realizes exactly what Justin means to me. As the family slowly starts moving away from Justin, Michael approaches him. I watch as Justin eyes him warily, his eyes darting between Michael and me. 

“Boy won…uh, Justin. I’m really sorry for all the shit I said about you, about the shelters,” Michael said. Justin looks at him closely then simply shrugs his shoulders, looking away. Justin isn’t so forgiving of Michael because of the hell he put him through since we met. I don’t think Justin truly believes what Michael is saying, he’s waiting for the axe to fall. 

“I mean it Justin. Since we’ve met, I’ve been an ass to you. It was uncalled for and put you in an awkward position. I finally get it Justin. I know that you are none of things that I’ve called or insinuated about you in the past. I also know that Brian truly loves you, you aren’t the trick that never went away,” Michael says, placing a hand on Justin’s shoulder. Justin studies him a moment before pulling him into a hug. 

“Don’t think that I’ve forgiven you, asshole,” Justin says with a laugh. 

“I wouldn’t even dream about it little brother,” Michael says with a laugh.

“Let’s eat,” Vic calls from the dinner table. The family moves into the kitchen, leaving Justin and me in the living room. I walk up behind him, wrapping my arms around him; he leans back against me, covering my hands with his own. Holding me there. We watch our family as they sit down each chatting away happily. 

“I love you Brian,” he says quietly, intertwining our fingers together. 

“I love you too Justin,” I reply without hesitation. He turns around in my arms his eyes wide with shock. I shyly smile down at him as his Sunshine smile graces his face. Leaning down I kiss him softly, wanting to prolong this moment. 

“You boys going to stand in there all evening or are you going to have dinner with your family,” Debbie hollers from the kitchen. Pulling back from the kiss, we laugh softly before releasing each other and joining our family for dinner hand in hand. 

As I look around the table at all the happy laughing faces, I realize that I have missed this. It’s good to have everyone back where they belong; you truly don’t know what you have until it’s threatened. I think this lesson in life is to appreciate the things you have and hold them close to your heart, to protect them always.


End file.
